France's 2024 road racing season opens in spectacular fashion this weekend. Sunday's hilly and technical Grand Prix of La Marseillaise precedes the punchy and varied five-day course of the Etoile de Besseges-Tour du Gard, which starts Wednesday.

Double defending champion Nielson Powles (EF Education Easy Post), who took a stunning solo victory at La Marseillaise last January and narrowly edged out Matthias Skjelmors (Lidl-Trek) for the overall win at the Besseges GP is not participating, but there are many high-profile potential successors.

Veteran Italian all-rounder Matteo Trentin will show off his new Tudor colors in La Marseillaise, while Magnus Korto (Uno X) will also be in the spotlight. There is also high local interest in U23 World Champion Axel Laurence (Alpecin Deceuninck), former winner Amaury Capio (Alcarea B&B Hotels) and Aurelien Pare-Pantre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).

Traditionally a battle between fast uphill finishers and all-rounders such as Trentin and Milan Menten of Lotto-Dousteny, this year's Marseillaise has switched the order of the familiar climbs: the steep Route des Cres (4.5 km, 7.6 miles) at the beginning of the 167.5 km course, and the steep Route de la Ménage (4.5 km, 7.6 miles) at the end. 1 km, 7.6%) before leading into the last 30 km of the route, the Gineste Pass (4.1 km, 7.6%).

After the excitement of Marseille, more riders will participate in the five-day Etoile de Besseges. They include Simon Carr, the recent winner of the Trofeo Calvià, Irish all-rounder Ben Healy, and two-time Besseges runner-up Alberto Bettiol, despite the absence of Paules in the EF Education - Easy Post, Three possibilities remain.

Former world champion and Grand Tour stage winner Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), winner of last year's final time trial, will make his 2024 debut, while veteran classics star Alexandre Kristoff (Uno X Mobility) and two winners, Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) and Benoit Kosnefrois (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), will also participate.

The first three stages in Besseges steadily increased in difficulty, with uphill finishes on the first two stages. The fourth stage will feature a short time trial with the GC riders pushed to the front on the final climb to Mejeanne-le-Clap.

Last year, the second stage was indirectly cancelled when Valentin Ferron clung to the side of a bridge with 25km to go in a major crash.

The Besseges, now in its 54th year, has traditionally featured flat, exposed terrain and winding, technical back roads, despite the occasional severe winter weather. As a result, next Sunday afternoon's mass start stage in the southern French town of Ales will be part of the battle for the overall victory between Echelon and Time Bonus.